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Went out to the bar last night. Got to bed at 5 this morning. Got up at 9:30. What better time to re-read a Morrison book than in a state of lesser brain function.

Joe the Barbarian -- It's by Morrison. It doesn't have to make sense. All it has to do is suggest a much greater story is there, and to suggest that I don't have the smarts to figure it out. Was the title inspired by political pop culture icon Joe the Plumber?

Joe is a nerdy high school student. He is an artist, and he has a gerbil and a whole bunch of action figures.* In a cutsey twist, he doesn't live in his mother's basement, he lives in her attic!

Joe is also apparently a diabetic. This can be inferred from the story, but I understand Morrison has stated so in an interview. In the story, his mother tells Joe to make sure he eats his candy bar. I'm under the impression that a candy bar is eaten in emergency cases when a diabetic's blood sugar gets too low, not as an ongoing control agent. Then again, Morrison is so much smarter than I am that he may know differently.

The art is okay. It's very close to being very good. Maybe as we get further into the story the art will gain that extra little bit to make it very good. The house is supposedly integral to the story. It is drawn in detail for several panels, quite nicely, I might add. Is this house the house where Morrison grew up? Is that the meta context here? Am I searching too hard to find the great story that Morrison has in his head?

It's a Morrison story, so I will give the next issue a chance to win me other. From a lesser creator, I'd give this a 6. That it is from Morrison, and the artist is making an effort here, I'll give it a 7. But if the second issue doesn't impress me, I may go create my own fantasy world.
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* Did you know the difference between an action figure and a doll? If it has a change of clothes, it's a doll.

Punchy wrote:oh yeah, my review for Robocop may be a little late, as I'm taking in my laptop to be fixed tomorrow, as the hinge is broken. It'll probably be back on time, but it may not be, so... yeah.

I could go into Uni and write my review, but I'd be seen with a comic! Can I stand the shame?